A Cat-Shaped Kindergarten? Cool!

It’s as if the brains behind the school design had the Internet in mind. Because: cats and kids!

Kindergarten Wolfartweier in Karlsruhe, Germany is built in the shape of a big white cat crouching like a sphinx. It was designed by internationally renowned artist Tomi Ungerer in collboration with the architect d'Ayla-Suzan Yöndel. According to Milk Magazine, Tomi chose his favorite animal to represent the school’s out-of-the-box ideals. The cat is a “clever and conscious” animal and is the perfect figure to inspire kids.

As the kids enter through the cat’s mouth -- much like how a cat swallows a mouse -- they enter the cat’s belly which is the classrooms, coatroom, dining room, and kitchen. The cat’s paws serve as children’s play areas.

In the second floor of the building are the cat’s large eyes which let in a lot of natural light in the main room. What’s more, the building has a tail, which is actually a slide for kids!

Rachel Malay, a Filipino pre-nursery teacher in BinaBangsa School in Indonesia, wants a "Junior Masterchef"-like kitchen that would take “bahay-bahayan” and “lutu-lutuan” to a whole new level. With this addition, not only will the children feel more comfortable doing kitchen chores at home, but they can also learn about different kinds of food and hopefully would make healthier food choices.

For Ginger Tayag, a mini-petting zoo would be on top of her list. “Through the animals, a child learns how the world and living things are interconnected. If properly supervised by teachers, a child can learn how to take care of other living beings, and can take pleasure in seeing and keeping the animals healthy and happy,” she says.

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But, whether it's this cat-shaped school in Germany or our typical classroom setup in the Philippines, the important thing is to have fun! Fun stimulates children’s imagination, and when you're six years old, that's really all you need.